


Protection

by iatethebiscuit



Series: Biscuit's Angstfest [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Biscuit's Angstfest, F/M, Werewolf AU, gore tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 13:29:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5006542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iatethebiscuit/pseuds/iatethebiscuit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A werewolf will hurt even the ones most dear to them. Belle will not let this happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protection

Full moon nights were always quiet in Belle’s town. They had been for years now. Everyone boarded their windows and deadbolted their doors, families sleeping in the same bed until the sun came up. Nobody went outside, and the only sounds were the wild animals and the occasional cry of a child that was quickly shushed. Nobody wanted to attract him. Not during a full moon.

Belle never slept during those nights. When everyone was worried for their farms, for their husbands and wives and children, she was worried for the one man who walked outside. The man the rest of the town feared. 

Rumplestiltskin. 

She had adored him for years, but a few months ago she finally plucked up the courage to talk to him. He was kind to her, friendly, and they grew close quickly. They had become lovers soon after. His wife, Milah, had left him a few years back, leaving him to take care of his young son alone. He needed help, so Belle happily provided it, looking after Bae whenever Rumple needed to go to a market to sell his wool. She had often offered to stay with Bae on the full moon, but Rumple always rejected her. Baelfire didn’t know, not many did, that his father was the one who wreaked havoc on the town once a month. He went to bed before Rumple changed, and his father was back before he woke. The door was always locked. Baelfire was safe inside his own home.

Tonight, though, she heard his small voice calling out. “Papa!” She heard him scream. “Papa, where are you?”

Belle’s heart suddenly went into overdrive. She jumped up from her bed quickly, grabbing a cloak before unlocking the door and bolting out. No matter how much she trusted Rumple, she didn’t trust the beast. Not even with his own son. Especially not with his own son.

“Bae!” She yelled, searching the dark streets. “Bae, where are you?”

It didn’t take long to find his small figure huddled between two houses, shivering in the cold. She kneeled down next to him, taking off her cloak and wrapping it around the boy. “What’s wrong?” She asked in the kindest voice she could manage, keenly aware of the fact that the beast could be on his way right now. She could hear every little gust of wind, and every rustle of the grass made her hair stand up.

Belle looked at her with big, sad eyes. “I had a nightmare and when I woke up papa was gone.” He explained, his bottom lip wobbling. 

Belle forced herself to smile at him, every corner of her body tingling with tension. “We’ll find your papa in the morning, okay? We shouldn’t be out during full moon nights, like papa told you. You can stay at my house tonight.” She urged the boy to get up, guiding him through the shadows with her hands on his shoulders. Her house wasn’t far, but Bae had been loud. She only hoped they would be safe. 

Of course, fortune was less than kind.

She spotted his yellowed eyes shining at the end of the street, his large black body shining in the moonlight. She quickly moved to stand in front of Bae, pushing him into the shadows and forming a shield between father and son. They couldn’t run. But she would sure as hell protect the boy.

“Stay still, Bae.” She ordered. “If I tell you to run, get to my house as fast as you can and lock the door. If I tell you to hide, you find the darkest place you can find and don’t come out until it’s light, okay? It’ll be like one of our games.” She tried to smile at him encouragingly, finding him rooted to the ground in fear. “I’m not going to let you get hurt.” She assured the boy, but the words sounded hollow. As much as she wanted to protect him, there was precious little she could do.

She turned back to the beast. It was hard trying to find Rumple underneath the growling thing, but she knew he was in there. Maybe he would listen. She had to try. For Bae.

“Don’t hurt us.” Belle said as calmly as she could. The beast walked towards them, it’s features displaying an evil sort of grin. 

“Please. I know you’re in there. You’ve got to listen to me.” She backed up a little, pinning Bae between the nearest house and her body. She needed to protect him. If Rumple hurt Bae, he’d never forgive himself. 

“It’s me.” She said, voice tense. She knew it didn’t matter, he didn’t understand. “Do you recognize me? It’s me, Rumple.”

There was a slight twitch in his eye, but the beast was inching ever closer and was showing no sign of giving up. “I’m scared, Belle.” Bae’s voice trembled and she felt his little hands fisting in her nightgown.

“Nothing’s going to hurt you.” She told the boy, squeezing her eyes shut when the wolf came so close she could smell its breath. “You’re okay.”

She didn’t remember much after that, just burning pain as the beast tore into her flesh. Bae screamed even as she held her breath, taking hit after hit. When she could no longer stand, she curled around the little boy, holding on to him for dear life. No matter what, the beast would not get to him. A lull in the attack made her look up, finding teeth dripping with blood just inches from her face. She was going to die. She knew it.

“Please…” She whimpered, hoping that there was still a part of Rumple, however small, that would listen to her. Then the world went black.

 

The first thing she noticed when she came to was warmth. She was curled around something warm, and it was comfortable. She tried to move, but it hurt too much. Everything hurt. Then she realised the warm thing in her arms was Rumplestiltskin’s son. And he was crying.

“Hey.” She said, forcing her eyes to open. The early morning light was too bright, but she kept squinting at Bae. She needed to be sure he was okay.

Bae sniffled, looking up. He threw his arms around her when he realised she was awake, causing Belle to bite her lip to keep from screaming out in pain. “I thought you were dead.”

“I’m not.” She replied quietly, pulling him close despite the agony. It was morning. He was safe. He was okay.

Bae snuggled against her chest, shoulders shaking. She rubbed his back softly, trying to calm him down. “Papa’s going to be here soon. You’ll be okay, Bae.” 

She felt tears roll down her face, from exhaustion, pain, or just pure emotion, she wasn’t sure. “You have to promise to take care of your father, okay?” She asked, pressing a kiss to Bae’s shoulder. Her love’s son was safe. That was all that mattered. Lately, though, he’d become hers too, and now she was leaving him. She worried about the boy, but she was glad she’d saved Rumple the pain of losing his child. She’d do it again without a second’s doubt.

Shuffling footsteps disturbed her train of thought, and Bae stirred in her arms. She lifted her gaze to meet the figure walking down the road, oblivious to the two people curled up against a wall. “Rumple…” She murmured, her voice barely audible. She was clinging to her consciousness, but it was getting harder. “Rumple.” Her voice was a little louder this time. 

He looked around, confused, and his face fell when he spotted them. His eyes were wide as he hurried over, clutching his staff, running as best he could with his limp. She sighed, relieved, when he fell on his knees before her. Bae was safe. 

“What happened?” Rumple asked, his hand searching Bae’s face for injuries. He looked frantic. She realised Bae was probably covered in blood. Her blood.

Belle felt awfully cold as the boy left her embrace to fling his arms around his father. She reached for them, smiling weakly. “I couldn’t let you, Rum...” She whispered. He wouldn’t accept anything but the truth, she knew that. She also knew that the beast was not him, not really. But when he’d backed off, she saw something in his eyes. Something almost human.

Her heart clenched as she watched understanding dawn on him. “No.” He said resolutely, holding Bae close as he cradled her face with his hand. “No, no, no. I didn’t. I can’t have.” Tears were quickly forming in his eyes. His thumb stroked over her cheek, making her lean into his touch slightly. 

“I’m sorry.” She murmured, her eyes closing. Darkness was pulling on her, and it would be so easy to just give in… But Rumple needed her. Bae needed her. She fought, taking ragged breaths, focusing on Rumple’s touch.

“Don’t leave me alone.” Rumple’s shaky voice told her. “Please, Belle.”

She opened her eyes with tremendous effort, taking in his tear-streaked face. Bae clung to him, his face buried in his father’s cloak. She couldn’t leave them. She didn’t want to lose this. 

“Never.” She croaked, feeling a heaviness come over her. Then, there was nothing.


End file.
